Kelly Ripa, Goddess, Returns to 'Live'

Wearing a red pantsuit and her game face, Kelly Ripa went back to work this morning and got down to business. "Guys, guys, guys," she said. "Our long national nightmare is over."

Last week, news broke that her co-host Michael Strahan would be jumping ship for Good Morning America at the end of the summer. Galled to have been informed just minutes before it leaked to the press, Ripa took a week of leave from Live and set off for a vacation.

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"I'm fairly certain that there are trained professional snipers with tranquilizer darts if I drift too far off message," Ripa quipped, adding, "I needed a couple of days to gather my thoughts, and after 26 years with this company, I've earned that."

Ripa went on to tell her audience that the network has assured her Live "is a priority" and outlets have reported that top brass extended personal apologies to Ripa for how the situation was handled last week.

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Given the commotion and the real betrayal that Ripa had to endure, her return is all the more impressive. By the end, she'd taken a road so high she basically summited Mt. Everest. "I am thrilled for Michael," she said. "This is a tremendous opportunity. I couldn't be prouder of you and everything we accomplished together."

Besides, she insisted, adding a little perspective: "My dad, who was a bus driver for 30 years, thinks we're all crazy. And I think he's right."